Kiss of the Dragon (4 page)

She stared at her reflection in the mirror as if waiting for
an answer but, of course, none was forthcoming. Not that she expected one, but
it never stopped her from conversing with herself.

With a delicate shrug of her shoulders, she turned away and
quickly drew on a thin, sleeveless linen chemise and then the gown she had
chosen. It was soft, gray wool that fit loosely over her curves and it was the
most drab and unimpressive gown she owned. It was the garb she wore when she
rode out on her little white palfrey for a gallop across her father’s estates
and in the surrounding hills. While dressed so obscurely, she was often able to
escape the castle without escort. That was why she kept such a garment in the
back of her wardrobe.

Behind her, the chamber door opened and she whirled to find
her cousin had arrived. Bianca smiled at Modesta as she swept into the room
with her usual liveliness, only to hesitate at the sight that met her eyes. Her
beautiful long blond tresses bounced about her shoulders as she came to an
abrupt halt. She stood there, frozen in her loveliness, dressed in a
long-sleeved gown of soft wool that molded over her curvaceous form with layers
of creamy lace accenting her low neckline showing just a hint of her high,
young breasts. More lace decorated her slender wrists just above her graceful
hands, which she held clasped to her breast. Her mouth dropped open in
astonishment as she took in the strange attire with an expression of horror on
her face.

“What are you wearing, Bianca? Have you lost your mind?” She
moved forward to walk around her cousin and watched her preen in front of the
large mirror.

“What are you doing?”

“I have a plan to rid myself of one more unwanted suitor. Do
you like my new attire? I would almost promise that one look at my maidenly
charms and the new suitor below stairs will run for the hills. What say you?”

“I say to you, ‘Good morning, dear Cousin’. I hope you slept
well.”

“Oh indeed, I did, Modesta, and you?” Bianca laughed at the
sarcasm in her cousin’s voice. “In fact, I slept so well, I dreamt that my
Prince Charming finally came and swept me up in his arms and we rode away on
his great black warhorse.” She frowned for a moment, her delicate brow wrinkled
as she tried to puzzle out something.

“Aren’t princes’ steeds all white with silver saddles and
accouterments? It is strange that I would dream of a dark prince with a devil
of a black steed.”

“You were never one to follow the rules, Bianca. It is just
the twist of your imagination. You write those stories about dragons and ogres
and such. It is no wonder you dream such dreams,” Modesta teased her lovely
cousin.

“And what of you, dear Modesta? Did you dream sweet dreams
of your Prince Charming as well?” She laughed at the grimace on Modesta’s face.
“I shared my dream with you. Now you must tell me if you have such dreams. It
is a possibility that by the time you have broken your fast, you may indeed
have met the man of your dreams, also.”

“What do you mean?” Modesta asked, her voice laced with
suspicion. She had been included in more than one of Bianca’s wild schemes. It
was true that the two of them had been punished more than once over the years
as they had grown up together. But Bianca’s stepmother was a little too free
with her small revenges, a hard pinch here or a sharp slap there, for real or
imagined offenses the two had committed over the past year. Modesta frowned. It
seemed to her that the punishments of late had been cruel to the extreme,
though.

“Well, dear cousin, let me ask you this—are you ready to
finally meet the man of your dreams in the flesh?”

“What are you up to, Bianca? You know how much trouble the
last escapade caused you, or rather us. She has eyes everywhere. Do not think
she won’t know.”

Crossing the room, Bianca took Modesta’s hand and led her
reluctant cousin to the bed where she urged her to sit. She squeezed her hands
gently with encouragement as she related the news that Jabulani had delivered.

“Two barons wait below?” Modesta asked, wanting to clarify
what Bianca was telling her.

“Yea, they await us, even now. It is possible that this new
suitor may very well be the man I will end up marrying and spending the rest of
my life with.” She glanced up through her eyelashes to determine how Modesta
was taking her words. If what she planned was to work she needed her cousin’s
sympathy to get her to agree to go along with her. She sighed loudly. “In
truth, I must be certain that he is the one for me.” She paused for effect
before continuing. “And that is why I must ask a favor of you, dear cousin.”

Modesta leaned forward with a knowing smile. “How are you
going to defy your stepmother this time? You know I will help.” She reached
over and squeezed her cousin’s arm to reassure her of her support. “Anything,
Bianca. You know I would do anything for you. Haven’t we always backed each
other, no matter the consequences? Now tell me, what is it you would have me
do?”

“No, I cannot ask you to do this for me, even if it meant
saving my future happiness. No, I cannot let you do it.”

“Oh please, Bianca, let me. I am your cousin, after all. It
is my right to help you with your problem.”

She was hooked and now all Bianca had to do was reel her in.
But she needed to do it carefully.

“It will take courage, Modesta.” She hesitated before
plunging on. “I want you to meet with this baron-knight in my stead,” she
rushed on even as her cousin opened her mouth. “He will not know the
difference. He has asked to be presented to the Beauty de Neige and you are
just as much she as I am.” She raised her hand to forestall the refusal she saw
forming on Modesta’s lips.

“I want the opportunity to make my decision without giving
anything away. I want to view this man and be able to watch him without him
knowing that I am. In this way, I will know if he is truly interested in me or
if it is my dowry that he comes to claim. Please, Modesta, do this for me. It
would be a great favor. Please, say you will do this for me, please.”

“I will do it, dear cousin,” Modesta answered with little
hesitation. “But promise me that you will not leave me alone with this baron.
And you must agree to tell him the truth as soon as you have made your
decision.”

“I agree. Come then, we must hurry and get you changed. The
Beauty de Neige must meet her prospective suitor in the finest of gowns.” They
both giggled when Bianca twirled around the floor displaying her plain gray
woolen gown. She would play the tiring woman to her cousin who would pretend to
be her. The servant’s attire would assure that no one at morning meal would
notice her.

Bianca stripped Modesta down to her underdress and then
picked up the creamy yellow gown of fine wool and helped her into it. A heavily
embroidered kirtle of deep green followed. The colors enhanced the young
blonde’s beauty, the color of her kirtle matching her jade-green eyes. After
plaiting Modesta’s thick tresses, a soft green veil was added to conceal her
golden braids, a gold barbette pinning it to her head. When Bianca stepped back
to study her work, she declared Modesta looked every part the fairest maiden in
all the land.

“You are beautiful, Cousin. Do not ever let anyone tell you
differently.” Her compliment, given so warmly, brought a rosy flush to
Modesta’s cheeks. And Bianca laughed at her embarrassment. “Yea, the good baron
will take one look at your lovely countenance and fall madly in love with you
and I will no longer have to worry about him. Now, I must put the finishing
touch to my disguise.”

Bianca searched through her chests until she exclaimed in
delight. She pulled out an old, worn linen kerchief that she used when working
in the garden and did her best to cover her own shining black tresses. With the
scuffed slippers she found for her feet, she looked every part the serving
wench and knew by experience that the noblemen who came to pay her court never
even glanced at her maidservant.

The chamber door suddenly opened to admit her handmaid,
Leia, who stood with a tray of food, fighting a wide yawn. Bianca learned long
ago that the young woman disliked rising so early in the morning. Her maid was
pleasant enough and worked hard, but she had never adjusted to the early hours
her mistress kept. She usually yawned until the noon meal, her eyes droopy from
lack of sleep. If Bianca had not known her well, she would have sworn the
pretty little maidservant kept late hours, but she knew that Leia went to bed
with the sun and still she was always sleepy.

“Good morning, my lady.” She bobbed a hasty curtsy as she
entered and moved to place the tray she carried on the table near the balcony
door.

“Good morning, Leia. I thank you for bringing up our repast,
but we will be eating in the hall this morn. It seems that we have newly
arrived visitors.”

“Yea, I know, my lady. It is for that reason I brought your
meal to your chambers. It is not safe for you to go below stairs. The Black
Dragon himself arrived not an hour ago and he and his companion are dining in
the Great Hall with your lord father.” She hastily crossed herself and then
covered yet another yawn with the back of her hand.

“What do you mean? Who is this Black Dragon?” Bianca’s
interest was piqued and her curiosity needed appeasing.

“The Black Dragon of Normandy. He is the Black Knight, said
to be the king’s champion and the most ruthless warlord in all of France. And
now he breaks his fast at your father’s table. No, it is definitely no place
for a gentle noblewoman to be. It is best if you take your meal in the safety
of your chambers.”

“I thought the Black Dragon no more than a legend, a droll
bedtime story for children to make them behave. Are you certain of this, Leia?”
A speculative thought flittered through her mind.

“Yea…” A yawn cut into her answer. “I was in the hall when
your father made them welcome. And then Jabulani confirmed it himself. The
Black Dragon is a guest here at Castle Neige.”

Glancing at her cousin to see Modesta’s reaction to these
tidings, Bianca smothered her laughter in a cough.

Modesta looked stunned, wringing her hands as she chewed on
her bottom lip. Her cheeks lost what little color they had only moments before.
“I don’t think this will work. Bianca. The Black Dragon is a dangerous man. He
could very well take offense at your little deception and take revenge on both
of us.”

“Wait.” Bianca held up her hand as a gruesome thought
suddenly occurred to her, and she lost her good humor. “What does the Black
Dragon want here? Is he the baron seeking my hand, by chance?”

“No, I think not. He arrived in the company of another great
baron, my lady. A very handsome lord, he is, the one who comes seeking your
favor, never fear.”

Nodding, Bianca silently digested all that her maid had
imparted. What game was being carried out below stairs? It seemed that the Duke
de Neige played host to two of France’s most notorious warriors and she had
been summoned to make an appearance. She seriously thought about defying her
father’s wishes but her curiosity won out over her prudence.

“We will take our repast in the hall,” she informed her
maid. “Leia, go to Galen the Healer and tell him that I would have him to find
a way to distract my father for a while this morn. I am very curious about
these barons. We will make an appearance in the hall as planned, but I do not
want my father present. It would ruin everything. Hurry now.”

As soon as Leia left the room, Modesta emerged from her
temporary state of shock and started backing away from her cousin, shaking her
head so furiously that the motions threatened to dislodge her veil.

“No, Bianca. I cannot go down and sit at same table with
such a man and play him for a fool. Do you realize what a fierce temper he must
have? He is a baron-knight, for God’s sake!” A look of horror colored her face
as she realized what she had agreed to do. “What was I thinking? They are both
baron-knights. When they find out we have tricked them, they will both be
furious. Only God knows what they are capable of doing!”

“Hush, now, Modesta. Do not worry so. You need not stay for
the entire meal. But you must still meet with them. And we are not exactly
lying. You are a beautiful woman by the name of Neige as much as I am. They will
just assume what they will and make arses of themselves without our help.”

“Swear that we will not incite their tempers in any way.”
She stood wringing her hands in uncertainty. “Swear it, Bianca, or I will not
go down there.”

“Trust me, dear cousin. I would never dream of making the
good noblemen angry.” Bianca opened the door of her chamber.

As Bianca and her very reluctant cousin made their way down
the sweeping staircase, she noticed the entrance of the Great Hall guarded by
two of her father’s most loyal knights. She breathed a sigh of relief to find
these two on sentry duty this day. They happened to be two of her favorite
guardsmen and they would fall all over themselves to do whatever she asked of
them.

“Look lively, you dope, here come Lady Bianca and Lady
Modesta.” Sir Gregory stood up straighter and puffed out his chest, full of his
own importance. He resembled a puffed-up peacock trying to show off for all the
peahens. Bianca smiled warmly at him.

“I have eyes, you grouchy old man. The Lady Bianca might
have her beauty hidden beneath rags, but she is still a jewel,” Sir Dominic
replied, bowing formally to Bianca, his head nearly touching the floor.

She gave them a dazzling smile. If nothing else had come of
having so many suitors, she had learned to use all her womanly charms to get a
man to do what she wanted. She had, in fact, never met a man whom she could not
wrap around her little finger.

“I need a small favor, my good knights,” she said sweetly.

“Anything, my lady,” Sir Gregory answered, and Bianca was
afraid that he would go down onto his knees right there at the entrance of the
Great Hall and pledge his unwavering loyalty. If the guests noticed the
outrageous display, they would be curious as to why a maidservant received such
attention.